March 24, 2009
Box Score
CINCINNATI--Behind a six-run, second-inning effort, the University of Cincinnati (11-8) captured an 11-5 win over Miami University (8-10) on Tuesday evening at Marge Schott Stadium.
Miami got on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead to start the game. With runners on first and second, senior first baseman Tommy Nurre belted a one-run single up the middle to plate senior third baseman Jordan Petraitis in the first inning.
The RedHawks continued to hold the lead until the bottom of the second inning. With two outs and one runner on base, the Bearcats rattled off six runs off four hits to seize a 6-1 advantage and a lead they would not relinquish.
Miami cut the gap in half in the top of the fifth inning when sophomore shortstop Brad Gschwind doubled down the leftfield line, allowing freshman catcher Jordan Jankowski and Nurre to cross home plate and put the RedHawks within three runs, 6-3.
Cincinnati, however, continued to extend its advantage. The Bearcats tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fifth and collected two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take an 11-3 lead.
In the top of the ninth with a runner on first and two outs, junior designated hitter Zak Hatfield stepped to the plate and belted his seventh home run of the season over the right field fence, also scoring pinch hitter sophomore John Hornke to eventually make the final score 11-5.
Despite the loss, Miami hammered out eight hits to Cincinnati's six.
Gschwind paced the RedHawks at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Nurre and Hatfield were the other RedHawks with a multiple-hit games, with Nurre going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run and Hatfield going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run.
Starting pitcher sophomore John Greene picked up the loss on the mound, dropping to 1-1 on the season.
Cincinnati's Kevin Johnson moved to 2-0 on the season, earning the win in 5.0 innings of work. The Bearcats were led at the plate by Lance Durham, who was 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
Miami returns to action on Wednesday, March 25 when the RedHawks travel to Dayton for a 3 p.m. game against the Flyers. The RedHawks play their first home games of the season this weekend when they host Eastern Michigan in a three-game Mid-American Conference series. First pitch for Friday and Saturday are scheduled for 6 p.m., and Sunday's start is slated for 1 p.m.
